(J.D. Power: Westlake Village, CA) -- More than two-thirds of owner-reported, new-vehicle interior problems are design-related issues rather than defects or malfunctions, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Interior Quality and Satisfaction Study.

The study finds that in 2011 owners reported an average of 17.2 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) regarding the vehicle interior, and 11.6 PP100 are a result of design issues, such as features being difficult to understand or use, or controls or displays in a poor location. Owners of U.S. domestic nameplate vehicles report the largest proportion of interior design problems (69%), compared with 66 percent among owners of Asian nameplate vehicles and 64 percent among owners of European nameplate vehicles.

Design-related interior problems can have a considerable negative impact on overall interior satisfaction. For example, satisfaction averages 8.1 on a 10-point scale among owners who report no interior design problems, but drops to 7.2 when at least one interior design problem is reported.

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